The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-24
FIRE AND DEATH.
Terrible Early Morning Holocaust
at Buffalo, n. z.
Destruction Of the Richmond Hotel-Ia
mates Leap From Windows In Their
Frantic Efforts to Escaps-Aany
Killed and Injured

Killed and In uroo-
BUFFALO. Y. Y, March 1s.-Another ca
iamity has visited Buffalo. Tho splendid
new Richmond Hotel, at the corner Of Main
and Eagle streets, was totally destroyed by
fire early this morning, together with the
St james Hall and other adjacent property.
The most distressing part Of the disaster lie
the loss of several lives. The rspidity Of
the fire cutting off all means Of escape, led
some persons to leap for life from the win
-dosVs. Others got down FIRE escapes or on
Hayes'lsdders raised by the fire department
The shrieks and cries Of tho poor people
IN the upper stories OF the structure were
beartrending. Ono man, mad with terror,
leaped from the third-story window and
was picked up from the stone sidewalk on
Main street O mangled and bleeding corpse.
Several who succeeded in making their
escape were badly injured and burned and
some of them Will probably die. Others,
more fortunate, escaped with slight in
juries. Many OF the wounded were taken
TO the hospitals.
Robert Stafford, tho senior proprietor Of
the hotel, with his wife, occupied rooms
on the second floor, and had a narrow es-
cape. Terror Overcame rybody, and
even those who escaped in safety we're in
many cases FRUSTRATED by their terrible ex
perie1ces. There were Us persons in tho
hotel twenty Of whom were transient
guests, eight boarders and tho remainder
pOrters, bell boys. families Of the propri-
etOrs and clerks. twenty-five Of these
were rescued from the windows by the FIRE
men, twenty-five are at hospitals, and a
large number MADE their escape by other
- a., l.
known. William A. Airport, the night
clerk, says: "Ths fire started in the
cloak room under the main stairway, at
3:35 O'Clock. There was nobody up bu-
myself, Joe, the night porter, and Plum
mer, the bell boy. Ipulled all foU- of the
fire alarms on the different floors and peo-
pie came flying down stairs in their night
clothes. The fire followed the elevator,
and inside Of five minutes it reached the
top floor. rushed outdoors after doing all
i could"
The large court in the center Of the build
ing must have afforded scope for the fear
full blaze, for IN less time almost than il
takes to tell it tho flames shot upward
through the elevator and caught to tho
tOpmost floor, and egrsss became 4 matter
of extreme difficulty on evory floor. The
first alarm WAS given By Policeman Henry
Clark, a. 1886. A general alarm fol-
lowed. By four O'Clock the screams
of the guests on the second, third and
fourth floors could be heard several
hundred yards, and the Hayes extension
ladders were early brought into requisition.
Women and children We're dragged in night
dresses out Of the windows into the chill air
ard carried by the tiremen into the streets,
where they were wrapped in warm blankets
and carried TO neigh boring houses and hotels.
The fire fiend got his work an 80 rapidly that
there were many hairbreadth escapes.
Some of the women, after they landed
on the ground, were obliged to stand
bare-limbed in the running water, before
they could be blanketod aud carried from
the shocking scene. At 4:I0 tho whole
building, north, south, eags and west was
ali ablaxc At this time the extension was
raised TO the fourth story aud two women
were landed safely, but severely scorched.
Six streams Of water were now playing on
the north end of the building from Eagle
street, but the brisk wind from the south
was battling the efforts of the firemen.
At 4:l0 the blaze had only affected the
outside and the middle portion of the top
floor on Main street, but was making rapid
Roadway on the south side. About this
time man attempted TO make his escape
from one OF the lower floors, but fell through
the hands Of the fremen, and alghting
on his head he was instantly killed. Five
girls were discovered in fifth story win
dow, and were rescued with great Difficult
ty by means of plank placed across the
alley to the top of Bunnell's museum. One
of the girls, while crossing the slender
bridge, fell to the ground, a distance
of four stories. She was not killed,
but was terribly injured. Her name was
supposed 10 be Mary COnnell, whose home
is at I'll Hamburg street. Her legs were
terribly cut and bruised and her back
seemed 10 be very badly injured and her
face and arms were in frightful condition
from burns.
William Purcell, of this city, local agent
of Bradstrcets, fell from the third story
TO the sidewalk and was killed instantly.
John Kahn, New York, jumped from the
fourth floor, injured back, leg fractured
and hand and face burned. Mary E.
Witt, housekpeper of the hotel, is
badly burned on The arms and face. c. W.
w. Dubois, Syracuse, foot, hands and face
burned His feet were severely cut by
glass F. K. Moore, Cleveland, hands and
face burned. J. A. Finch, Scranton, fatally
injured. AT the Emergency, DR..
Daniels attended to four patients,
W hose names and injuries are as
follows: H. b. Smith, Syracuse, feet, hands
and head severely burned; W. J. Mackey,
Niagara Falls, fell through the skylight aud
hurt his back severely; Edward Wheeler,
hands. feet and face burned-fell one story
and badly bruised; Barry Davies, New
York, feet hands and face burned.
Q